Casey's Next Step
by cowgirlangel95
Summary: "Post" finale: Casey is ready to move on with his life. But after he runs out of the court yard, his plans take an unexpected turn. Rated T because I'm paranoid


_**A/N: Hey all! So this is my first, finished, Chuck only fanfic. I never liked the pairing of Casey and Verbanski, so I decided to write this! Hope you enjoy it! And please leave a comment so I know if you guys like it, cause there may be more stories stemming off of this one depending on my college work schedule :)**_

_**I do not own Chuck, otherwise it would still be on**_

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John Casey looked around the court yard one final time. This place had become his home for the past five years. So many memories came back about this place, good memories that he hadn't thought about in a while. Originally, the Intersect assignment was to last only a few months. He truly felt that this was his home, and that he was leaving so many friends – no, family members—behind. Despite these feelings, it was time for him to move on in his life. _The last time I felt like this was…No, don't think about it. That was then, this is now. You're someone else now. Those memories need to stay buried._

After a few more moments, Casey turned and ran out of the court yard towards his Crown Vic; ready to move on to the next step in his life. There was nothing holding him there anymore, no reason for him to stay. As long as he came back every once in a while to see Alex, Chuck, and Sarah, that was fine with him. Or so he thought.

Casey looked up towards his car and stopped in his tracks. His bag fell from his hand as a soft, pain filled groan escaped his lips. He wasn't expecting to see someone blocking his path to his car, let alone _her_. Everything that he tried to block out of his mind a few minutes earlier came flooding back. The reason why he felt like he had a home all those years ago was standing right in front of him.

"How did you know?" he asked her.

Kathleen stepped up to him. "Alex told me. A couple weeks ago, she told me that you wanted her to meet someone special at some point. But, she got the feeling that you weren't truly happy with her. So, she was hoping that I might be able to do something before you left."

Casey's heart ached. It was true. He thought Gertrude would be the one to help him get rid of the pain of losing Kathleen all those years ago, but she paled in comparison to Kathleen. And he didn't realize it until now.

John," Kathleen paused. "Alex…" when Casey heard his real name it made his heart ache even more. "Just talk to me."

Casey shook his head. "Kathleen, ever since I had to leave you so I could establish my new cover, I had to try to push you out of my mind," Casey stepped closer to Kathleen. "Ya know something? Nothing worked. I tried several different missions, getting myself so absorbed in my work, trying to get myself involved with other women. No matter what I tried, my mind always came back to you," Casey took another breath. "And knowing I couldn't be with you…hurt me even more."

Kathleen nodded as she listened to Casey's explanation. She looked into his eyes— he was telling her was the truth, but he was still hiding something as well. "What about after I found you? Why not come back to me instead of going off with someone else?"

Casey shifted his weight on his feet. He'd never been in a situation like this before, and he felt something in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't felt in a long time. Nerves. "I should've trusted my instinct on Russians," he grumbled. "At that time, I was still with the NSA. It's for the same reason why I had to leave you in the first place. I had to eliminate ties from my previous life to establish my cover. Verbanski…she was, unfortunately, part of that cover," He looked at Kathleen. Casey could tell that she was upset over what he told her. "A part I wish I could rid of in my life. You're all I've ever cared about, Kathleen. And I want to do something about it."

Casey brought Kathleen closer to him. He brought his hand closer to her face, and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Casey leaned in towards Kathleen and kissed her. He had forgotten how soft her lips felt up against his. The longer they kissed, the more he realized that it was a mistake to leave.

Kathleen finally broke the kiss and gasped for air. She looked into Casey's eyes and smiled. "It's been a while since we did that, huh?"

"Indeed," he agreed. He wished that he could correct everything that happened in those years that they had lost. But it was impossible. There was no way to turn back the clock so he could be there for Alex during her childhood; there was no way to reverse leaving her.

Or was there…

Casey's mind flashed back to when Chuck had returned from his mission from France. Chuck was on the verge of tears because he was going to propose to Sarah, but the CIA ruined it, saying Sarah had committed treason, and brought her back to Castle in chains. He remembered what he said to Chuck, "…all you need is the girl."

_All you need is the girl_.

There was a way to correct one of his mistakes. Casey took ahold of Kathleen's hands, and looked deep into her eyes. "Kathleen, I'm sorry for everything that my work has put you through. I can't correct most of it, but I can do this." He got down on his knee and asked, "Will you marry me?"

Kathleen's mouth fell agape. When she planned on seeing Casey, she was not expecting this.

At first, she wasn't sure what she should say. But there was no question about it. After all of these years, he was still the man she loved; the only man her heart belonged to.

Tears filled her eyes as she answered, "Yes."

Casey stood and wiped the tears from her eyes. The last time he felt like this was when he asked her to marry him the first time. But this time, they were going to be together for sure.

"I guess we should go tell Alex."

Kathleen nodded. Casey offered Kathleen his arm as they headed towards the apartment, to which she gladly accepted. He opened the door, and they found Alex sitting in the living room. Their daughter slowly stood up and looked at them, with her eyes moving back and forth between Casey and Kathleen. All Casey could do was smile and nod. Alex ran to them and engulfed them in a hug.

For the next few moments, Casey was oblivious to any conversation that was taking place. He finally realized that this was where he belonged. Not just Burbank, but with the love of his life, his daughter, and his friends…forever.


End file.
